### Prelude Against the Competition If you view the Prelude on paper alongside its obvious rivals, the comparison isn’t all that favorable. The Toyota GR86 and Subaru BRZ twins and the venerable Mazda MX-5 Miata are all legitimate sports cars with rear-wheel drive, manual transmissions, and significantly lower price tags. They will likely outaccelerate the Prelude, as they all get to 60 mph in under 6.0 seconds, while the Honda likely won’t be any quicker than the Civic Hybrid or Si, both of which hit that mark in the mid-sixes. The Prelude’s key advantages over these appealing alternatives lie in its extra practicality and premium feel. Compared with the Miata, the Honda is more usable as an only car due to its small rear seats and relatively spacious cargo area under the liftback-style hatch. And next to the Toyobaru twins’ low-rent and dated cabin, the Prelude’s interior quality and appearance ...
### Prelude Against the Competition
If you view the Prelude on paper alongside its obvious rivals, the comparison isn’t all that favorable. The Toyota GR86 and Subaru BRZ twins and the venerable Mazda MX-5 Miata are all legitimate sports cars with rear-wheel drive, manual transmissions, and significantly lower price tags. They will likely outaccelerate the Prelude, as they all get to 60 mph in under 6.0 seconds, while the Honda likely won’t be any quicker than the Civic Hybrid or Si, both of which hit that mark in the mid-sixes.
The Prelude’s key advantages over these appealing alternatives lie in its extra practicality and premium feel. Compared with the Miata, the Honda is more usable as an only car due to its small rear seats and relatively spacious cargo area under the liftback-style hatch. And next to the Toyobaru twins’ low-rent and dated cabin, the Prelude’s interior quality and appearance represent a significant upgrade that somewhat justifies its extra cost.
### Prelude Against the Competition (continued)
Honda acknowledges that the Prelude isn’t for everyone and is setting its expectations to suit, estimating annual U.S. sales of about 4000 units. Within the vacuum of the Honda lineup, the new Prelude largely looks and feels like a Prelude should, but its biggest problem is that the context around it has changed. While small, front-wheel-drive coupes used to be thick on the ground in the 1990s and early 2000s, the Prelude now finds itself in the midst of a sport-compact segment that has been diluted to its essence, with only the best models surviving into the current era. Without the true enthusiast cred of a manual-transmission option, we think the Prelude is a tough value proposition against the 315-hp Civic Type R, as the latter is not much more expensive.
### Driving Experience
Driving the Prelude is as pleasurable as looking at it. It’s as smooth, composed, and refined as most current Civics are, and the upgraded suspension and brakes bring extra sharpness to its responses. It’s soft compared with its more overtly sporting siblings, as the adaptive dampers feature three settings—Comfort, GT, and Sport—that are all more compliant than the Type R’s Comfort setting. But we don’t mind the extra body roll, and it’s still a delight on a twisty road.
The car we drove was equipped with Continental ExtremeContact Sport 02 summer tires, which are available only as a dealer-installed option for $1200. We can’t say how the standard all-season rubber might affect the communicative steering feel and eager turn-in, because Honda wouldn’t let us drive a Prelude wearing those.
### Driving Experience (continued)
Honda’s two-motor hybrid system, making 200 horsepower here, excels the same in the Prelude as it does in pretty much every other application. Power delivery is predictable, linear, and responsive. Despite the prominence of the S+ button on the center console, the Prelude’s fake-shifting mode doesn’t make the car any more engaging to drive. In fact, it’s slower during an acceleration run. When left to its own devices, S+ has good logic—it’ll “downshift” for you and blip the throttle as you enter a corner, for instance. But the paddle shifters are effectively meaningless, because even in Sport mode with S+ engaged, the computer will still sometimes shift by itself. We don’t see the point of a so-called “manual” mode if the car ends up making all its own decisions anyway.
### Conclusion
We’re glad the Prelude exists again, and we’re happy that Honda still sees sporty coupes as part of its vision. While it may not be the best value proposition against the competition, the Prelude is a worthy addition to the Honda lineup. Its unique blend of practicality, premium feel, and refined driving experience make it a compelling choice for those seeking a sporty, two-door sedan.
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